KLOOF Senior Primary School’s SPAR Star of the Month is Dani Janse Van Rensburg.
Her school hosted an internal science expo in May and she entered her project, Alien: Friend or Foe and won a gold certificate and a R80 gift card.
Dani’s project has created some controversy within the Kloof Conservancy as she questions the removal of all alien trees, specifically the Blue Gum and Eucalyptus which are the home of the crowned eagle. “The idea came to me when I read a copy of the Highway Mail where a crowned eagle was killed and Shane McPherson’s email address was attached and I contacted him. This led me to begin my own research where I tested the soil to see how the trees impacted the soil around them. My conclusion was that there was no need to cut down all alien trees unless they are near a wetland,” said Dani.
She then entered the project into the Glenwood Science Expo for Grade 6 and 7s and she walked home with gold, was announced as the top pupil, received a Samsung tablet and won the school a new Smart Board.
Dani, along with eight other Kloof Senior Primary School pupils entered the FFS Science Expo for Grade 8 to Grade 12 pupils at the beginning of August. “I wasn’t nervous, but when I got there everyone was so much bigger than I was,” laughed Dani. She once again excelled and won best junior project for Grade 8 and 9. She, along with four fellow pupils, were invited to attend the FFS Science Expo Tour to Johannesburg in October. The team of chosen young scientists will travel by luxury coach to Gauteng and experience guided tours to places of scientific interest. They will visit The Drakensberg Pump Station, Sci-Bono, the Planetarium; Tswaing Meteorite Crater and Museum (the Cradle of Human kind), the Pretoria Zoo, the Sterkfontein Caves and will even ride on the Gautrain. All of this is sponsored by FFS.
Just a few weeks later she entered the project into the Eskom Science Expo and once again Dani won gold and the Grassland Society of South Africa Award for Best Environmental Management Project. She has also been chosen to be part of the KZN team that will attend Nationals in Boksburg in October.
Dani works extremely hard in all her subjects and is in the top three academically at KSP. Not only does Dani work extremely hard academically but she also plays second team netball and second team soccer.
If you would like to know more about her project, visit Dani’s blog at www.alienfriendfoe.blogspot.com.
